Proportional meter.



No. 740,088. I PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.'

H. GHRISMAN.

PROPORTIONAL METER.

lA'IPLIGATION FILED FEB. 20. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATBNTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

H. CHRISMAN; P-ROPORTIONAL METER;

PPLIGATION FILED FEB. 2o. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

Patented September 29, ISCMT!` UNITED lSTATES PArnNT OFFICE.

HORACE CHRISMAN, lOF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PITTS- BURGH METER COMPANYOF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPO- RATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PROPORTIONAL M ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,088, dated September 29, 1903.

Application filed February 20, 1903. Serial No. 144,235. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HORACE CHRIsMAN, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Proportional Meters, of which improvement the following is a specification.

My invention relates to appliances for measuring, indicating, and recording the volume ro of iiuid passing through a conduit or main of the class known as proportional meters, in which a determined fractional part of the fluid supplied is passed through and measured by a meter of correspondingly-reduced capacity and the total volume of the fluid pass-l ing through the conduit or main is computed as a known multiple of that which passes through said fractionally-measuring meter.

The object of my invention is to provide a zo proportional meter in which rsimplification and economy of construction and facility and accuracy of operation shall be attained by a reduction in the number of working parts and the elimination of the articulated connections 2 5 which have heretofore been generally employed. v

To this end my invention, generally stated, consists in a combined valve and motor structure comprising a valve controlling the flow 3o of unmeasured fluid, a valve controlling the dow of measured uid, and pressure-plates subject to the pressure of the un measured and measured duid, said structure being actuated in one direction by the conjoined pressures 55 of the unmeasured and measured fluid and in the opposite direction by gravity.

My invention further consists in the com-v bination of a valve and motor structure as aforesaid with inlet and outlet chambers hav.

4o ing connections for sections of a supply-main and with a tally-meter and also incertainillustrating an application of lmy invention;

and Fig. 2, a similar view illustrating modi- 5o ications of structural detail.

In the practice of my invention, referring to the embodiment thereof shown in the drawings, I provide an inclosing casing 1, which is divided by a transverse partition 2,in which is formeda central opening, into an inletchamber 3 and an outlet-chamber 4. A lateral inlet passage or nozzle 3, adapted for connection to a section of a fluid conduit or main, is formed upon the inlet-chamber, and a similar outlet passage or nozzle 4: is formed 6o upon the outlet-chamber. The outlet-chamber is provided with a removable cap 5, which is held in position by bolts G and carries a central stop 7 to limit the upward traverse of a valve and motor structure to be hereinafter described. The inlet-chamber 3 is open at its bottom, which is connected to a tally-meter 8 of any suitable and preferred construction and of proper capacity to measure a desired and determined fractional volume of fluid 7o passing into the inlet-chamber, with which the tally-meter is connected by a supply-pipe 8a. The delivery-passage of the tally-meter opens into a meter delivery chamber Sb, formed by a cylindrical wall 3b, projecting 75 upwardly into the inlet-chamber.

Communication between the inlet and outlet passages of the casing is controlled and regulated by a combined valve and motor structure which is provided for the perform- 8o ance of the several functions of (a) a valve for controlling the flow of unmeasured fluid directly from the inlet to the outlet chamber, (b) a valve for controlling the dow of measured fluid from` the tally-meter to the outletchamber, (c) a pressure-plate actuated to impart opening movement to said valves by the combined pressures of the unmeasured and measured volumes of fluid, and (d) a gravi-A tating member for imparting closing move- 9o ment to said valves.

' The components of the structure referred to are a plate 9 9a, which extends across the top of the meter delivery-chamber 8* and the central opening in the partition 2 of the me- 95 ter-casing 1, and a cylinder 9", which extends upwardly from the central portion of the plate and is closed at its top and has a lateral port 9c formed in its shell. The outer portion 9 of the plate forms a direot-deliv- Io/ A unmeasu red fluid.

ery valve which controls the flow of unmeasured fluid from the inlet to the outlet chamber of the meter and a pressure-plate which is acted upon upwardly or in direction to impart opening movement to said valve by the The inner portion 9 of the plate, which is of greater area than the outer portion 9, forms a permanent partition between the meter delivery-chamber 8b and the outlet-chamber 4 and a pressure-plate which is acted upon in the same direction as the outer portion 9 by the measured fluid. Vithin the central cylinder 9b there is secured a sleeve or bushing l0", which ts truly and traverses vertically upon a delivery-pipe 10, leading out of the meter delivery-chamber, and is provided with a lateral port l0, which coincides with the port 9c of the cylinder. The pipe l0 is open at its ends and is supported by a frame or bracket l0, fixed to the shell of the meter delivery-chamber. The laterally-ported cylinder 9b forms a meter delivery-valve which controls the flow of measured fluid from the meter delivery-chamber to the outlet-chamber 4.

The combined valve and motor structure above described is preferably formed of sheet metal, with its constituents rigidly secured one to the other, so as to form an integral structure, its aggregate weight being such as to enable it to act as a gravitating member in opposite direction to the pressures of fluid which act in an upward direction upon it. A supplemental weight may be added to it, if found desirable, or equivalently its tendency to downward movement may be increased by fthe application of a spring l1, as shown in lt will be obvious that in all positions of the plate 9 9A and connected valve-cylinder 9" communication between the inlet-chamber 3 and meter delivery-chamber 8" (except such as is permitted and controlled by the tally-meter) must be wholly and continuously prevented, and to this end a partition of such character as to be adapted to permit movement of the plate 9 9 and valve-cylinder 9b and at the same time to maintain the required separation between the inlet-chamber and meter delivery-chamber is provided. In the specific embodiment of my invention which is exemplified in Fig. l said partition is in the form of a cylindrical shell 9, which is connected at its top to the plate 9 9 and projects downwardly therefrom into a fluid-seal chamber 3C, formed in the Wall 3" of the meter delivery-chamber. The fluidseal chamber extends nearly up to the top of the partition 2 and contains a charge of mercury or other suitable sealing fluid, which is supplied to it through a pipe 3d, leading into its lower end. To prevent chattering of the shell 9d in the fluid-seal chamber, a ring 9 of slightly less width than that of the chamber may be secured upon its lower end. A cylindrical diaphragm l2 of flexible material, connected at its opposite ends to the plate 9 9 or to the shell 9d and to the wall of the inlet or the meter delivery chamber, as shown in Fig. 2, would perform the same function as and constitute the mechanical equivalent of the shell and fluid-seal chamber above described and may be substituted therefor' in the discretion of the constructor without departure from the spirit and operative principle of my invention.

In the operation of the meter the entire volume of fluid which passes through the supply conduit or main enters the inlet-chamber 3 through the inlet-passage 3, and a determined portion of said fluid passes into the tally-meter S through the supply-pipe Sa and after being measured and its volti me recorded by the tally-meter passes therefrom into the meter delivery-chamber 8b, in which its delivery-pressure as reduced by the friction of the tally-meter is exerted upon the inner portion 9 of the pressure-plate 9 9 and its central cylinder 9" in opposition to the gravity of the combined valve and motor structure and the connected shell 9d. The pressure of the measured fluid on the inner portion 9 of the pressure-plate 9 9, acting in conjunction with that of the unmeasured fluid on the outer pressure-plate section 9, overcomes said opposing gravity and raises the combined valve and motor structure, thereby opening communication betweenthe meter deliverychamber andthe outlet-chamber for the Ineasured fluid through the ports 9c and lOc in the valve-cylinder 9b and its bushing l0" andV between the inlet-chamber and the outletchamber for the unmeasured fluid through the opening in the partition 2, controlled by the outer portion 9 of the plate 9 9. The upward traverse of the combined valve and lnotor structure is limited by the stop 7, with Which the top of the valve-cylinder 91 comes in contact at the limit of its upward movemeuf.

It will be seen that variations of supplypressure and of tally-meter resistance will, by reason of the coincident variations of the resultants of the opposing actions of pressure and gravity upon the combined valve and motor structure, correspondingly vary the degree of opening of the connected and coincidently-moving valves for the measured and unmeasured fluid without impairing the determined ratio of relative volumes of measured and unmeasured fluid upon which the accuracy of the meter necessarily depends, or, otherwise stated, that a constant ratio of drop or reduction in pressure through the delivery-ports of the measured and unmeasured fluid is maintained throughout the operation of the meter. Thus if the supply-pressure should become reduced or the frictional resistance of the tally-meter be increased the conjoined upwardly-acting pressures on the pressure-plates will be coincidently reduced, and the port areas for the passage of the measured and unmeasured fluid will be correspondingly reduced by the preponderant IOO action of gravity on the combined valve and motor structure. Il", on the other hand, the supply-pressure should be increased or the frictional resistance of the tally-meter be reduced, the conjoined upwardly-acting pressures on the pressure-plates Will be coincidently increased and the port areas for the passage of measured and unmeasured Huid 'will be correspondingly increased by the preponderant action of the increased upwardlyacting pressures over that of gravity.

A substantial feature of structural advantage of my improvement consists in its simplicity, compactness, and inexpensiveness, and its operative efficiency is materially promoted by the entire elimination of the linkages and other articulated connections which have heretofore been employed in appliances of the class towhich my invention relates.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a proportional meter, a combined valve and motor structure comprising a valvel controlling the iow of unmeasnred duid, and

constituting a pressure-plate acted upon, as to opening movement, by said iiuid, a valve controlling the iiow of measured iiuid, and aA I pressure-plate subject to the pressure of the measured duid, said valves and pressureplate being connected in an integral structure and adapted to be coincidently actuated in one direction by the conjoined pressures of the unmeasured and measured fluid and in the opposite direction by gravity.

2. In a proportional meter, the combination of a valve controlling the iioW of unmeasured fluid, a valve controlling the flow of meas-- ured uid, and means for coincidently actuating said valves in one directionby the concurrently-actin g pressures of the unmeasured and of the measured fluid, and in the opposite direction by the action of gravity.

3. In a proportional meter, the combinationof a valve controlling the direct passage of unmeasured fluid from. the inlet' to the outlet chamber and constituting a pressure-plate l acted upon, as to opening. movement, by the incoming uid, a connected pressure-plate acted upon, in the same direction, by the chambers, eachadapted for connection toa Huid-conduit, a tally-meter connected to the inlet-chamber, and a combined valve and motor structure comprising a valve controlling the direct oW of Huid from the inlet to the outlet chamber and constituting a pressure-plate acted upon, as to opening movement, by the fluid in the inlet-chamber, a valve controlling the 110W of fiuid from the tally-meter to the outlet-chamber, and a pressure-plate acted upon, in direction to open said valve, by iiuid delivered from the tallymeter, said valves and pressure-plate being rigidly connected and subject to the action of gravity in direction to impart closing movement'to the valves.

5. In a proportional meter, the combination of a casing divided by a partition having a central opening into inlet and outlet chambers, each adapted for connection to a fluidconduit,'a meter deliverychamber, a tallymeter Vhaving its delivery end connected to and communicating with the meter deliverychamber and its receiving end communicating with the inlet-chamber, a plate extending over the top of the meter delivery-chamber and the opening in the partition of the casing-and constituting a valve which con-v trols said opening and connected pressureplates subject to the pressure of fluidin theinlet and meter delivery chambers, a valve connected'to said plate and controlling communication between the meter delivery andoutlet chambers, and means for preventing communication, other than as governed by the tally-meter, between the meter delivery and inlet chambers. 

